San Clemente council approves six‑month pilot dog beach at South T Street, limits hours and weekends

The San Clemente City Council on Aug. 19 voted 5–0 to approve a six‑month pilot program allowing dogs at a stretch of municipal beach south of the T Street access, with restricted hours, leash and licensing requirements and additional signage.

The pilot applies to a roughly 1,000‑foot stretch south of the T Street beach access restrooms toward Tower 9. Under the council motion, dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet, be licensed and owners must remove waste. The approved hours limit dog access to mornings (6 a.m.–8 a.m.) and evenings (after 6 p.m.) during the pilot; the council also agreed the program should exclude peak weekend periods (no dog access from Friday afternoon through Monday morning). The pilot will run for six months and will take effect only after any required California Coastal Commission and California Environmental Quality…